World Bank Support to Aging Countries

This evaluation is the first at the Independent Evaluation Group to assess the World Bank’s contribution to diagnosing client countries’ demographic issues related to population aging.

shutterstock/ Ja Crispy
Published:
DOI
10.1596/IEG159042

Population aging—resulting from falling fertility rates, declining mortality, and increased longevity—shapes the profile and the needs of a growing number of countries.

The World Bank is increasingly called to offer support to respond to the deep socioeconomic challenges its clients are facing because of population aging. Providing adequate responses to aging countries will become more of a priority as the phenomenon accelerates and becomes more prominent in World Bank client countries.

This evaluation is the first at the Independent Evaluation Group to assess the World Bank’s contribution to diagnosing client countries’ demographic issues related to population aging; understanding the variance in policy needs and context specificities; and providing vision, tools, and resources to respond to challenges in countries at different stages of aging.

The evaluation’s overarching question is, How well is the World Bank supporting client countries in addressing and anticipating their aging challenges?